Frederick Shegog, former Delaware County Community College student, now motivational speaker.
At the closing plenary of the 2023 Dream Conference in Chicago, Achieving the Dream (ATD), a reform network of over 300 community colleges, handed the microphone to students who either currently attend or graduated from a community college.
Motivational speaker Frederick Shegog shared how the support he received at Delaware County Community College (DCCC) was crucial to his evolution from a life of substance addiction to a life of spreading hope.
“Let me take you back to how it started. My whole life I felt stupid, less than. Being in this system with these barriers put me in a position that, almost seven years ago, I was downtown panhandling for change,” said Shegog.
After going to therapy and rehab, Shegog turned to education to start over. Faculty and staff at DCCC embraced him, Shegog said, seeing him as a human first and foremost, asking him to share who he was, his past, and his dreams. Consistent, holistic support put him on track to transfer to a four-year institution and gave him the tools and confidence to share his story with others. He now owns his own company, The Message LLC, and is working on a master’s degree while traveling and speaking across the country.
“Tonight, when you lay in your beds, I ask you, ATD, what is your legacy? What footprint are you leaving in the building, and what do they say about you when you exit?” asked Shegog. “W.E.B. Du Bois was right: education doesn’t just teach books; it’s supposed to be teaching life.”
Shegog’s experience was echoed by seven of the eight community college students of varying ages, racial and ethnic identities, backgrounds, and career pursuits selected to be ATD’s 2023 “Dream Scholars.” For almost a decade, ATD has selected Dream Scholars for this unique opportunity, offering networking and financial support as they grow their leadership and critical thinking skills.
